Have you ever used a Ouija board?

[Red]

I've just been reading a fictional book in which a couple of characters use a ouija board and in doing open up a gateway for a demonic presence to enter, I haven't finished it yet so I've no idea whether or not it fucks off in the end., but anyway has anyone here ever used a ouija board? I mean seriously used one? Not just after a night out on the lash and you get home shitfaced with your mates, make a rudimentary board out of a cornflake box and swat some scrabble tiles down for the letters.

If you have did owt happen?

Also, do you believe in the devil and if you do, do you think he has any redeeming features or is he an out and out bastard?

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

oujia board + haunted house + acid is on my bucket list

 

[SALTIRE]

Wasn't the Ouija board meant to be a children's game originally? It didn't take on spiritual conotations till around the Twenties I believe.

 

[Red]

Wasn't the Ouija board meant to be a children's game originally? It didn't take on spiritual conotations till around the Twenties I believe.

That could be right. I know it was mass marketed by Parker brothers as a game at one time. Then it's popularity waned and then gained again.

 

[SALTIRE]

That could be right. I know it was mass marketed by Parker brothers as a game at one time. Then it's popularity waned and then gained again.

I don't think there is anything otherwordly to it, but I would like to play with one just for the hell of it one time.

 

[PuB]

Quite a few times actually, the one thing that stands out is when my uncle joined in (he's a total non-believer) and the board spelt out, 'see you in the back of the queue'.

None of us knew what it meant until my uncle freaked out and told us that's what his mum used to say to him when dishing out dinner. He was the youngest of six in an Irish family, and judging by his reaction definitely wasn't pushing it himself.

I haven't done it since though.

 

[Red]

Quite a few times actually, the one thing that stands out is when my uncle joined in (he's a total non-believer) and the board spelt out, 'see you in the back of the queue'.

None of us knew what it meant until my uncle freaked out and told us that's what his mum used to say to him when dishing out dinner. He was the youngest of six in an Irish family, and judging by his reaction definitely wasn't pushing it himself.

I haven't done it since though.

Cheers PuB. Did you ever have any frightening experiences?

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Also, do you believe in the devil and if you do, do you think he has any redeeming features or is he an out and out bastard?

God killed a fuckton more people in the Bible...

Ouija boards are also a crock of psychological shit.

 

[blade1889]

Never done it. Heard too many horror stories about it really messing with peoples head. My mum did one when she was worried and it said 'im the cold spot on the stairs' (or words to that effect), she swears blind that although shed kind of noticed it it was never really consciously until the Ouija board brought it up.

 

[Red]

God killed a fuckton more people in the Bible...

Ouija boards are also a crock of psychological shit.

That's an interesting point. You mean some sort of hysteria?

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

The ideomotor effect. Essentially subconscious movements from the people using the board make the board work.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/27/ouija-boards-dowsing-rods-bomb-detectors

 

[Red]

The ideomotor effect. Essentially subconscious movements from the people using the board make the board work.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/27/ouija-boards-dowsing-rods-bomb-detectors

Do you think that accounts for every instance when the ouija board has been used? I'm not saying it doesn't myself. I'm wondering if there's ever been a situation where some information has been imparted from a supposed spirit which nobody present knew about which subsequently one of them discovered to be true. Something like 'there's the remains of a dead budgie buried 4 inches deep at the end of Herbert's garden'

 

[lordofthepies]

Also, do you believe in the devil and if you do, do you think he has any redeeming features or is he an out and out bastard?

I reckon that he (or SHE?!?!?!) is probably alright.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Do you think that accounts for every instance when the ouija board has been used? I'm not saying it doesn't myself. I'm wondering if there's ever been a situation where some information has been imparted from a supposed spirit which nobody present knew about which subsequently one of them discovered to be true.

Let my start off by saying when it comes to religion, spiritualism, paranormal etc. I would say I'm agnostic. Directly sat on the fence, I've had my own weird shit when I was a child - but I was a child, don't remember it, and imagination is a manipulative mistress. I possibly believe something, I probably don't. Insanely fascinated by it all though.

To me, the notion of the ouija board is utterly ridiculous. As mentioned on here it was originally introduced as a talking board (inadvertently based on the psychological principles) - completely unrelated to the paranormal (well, more marketed as magic, but you know what I mean). This was then jumped on by the occult bandwagon. All of a sudden it's spirits controlling the planchette. What? Quite a leap of logic to derive that. Why would spirits wait for someone to get out a board game before saying hi? If I was an otherworldly entity, it seems a lot easier to hijack someone's keyboard and write a nice little note on Microsoft Word, or sticking to the board game theme, why don't we just play chess with ghosts? The whole concept just seems highly flawed when thought out.

Infact I can say with certainty in my mind that every use of the ouija board is a result of the persons subconscious.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I said it before on TFF but, I do paranormal investigations. Ouija Board's are a load of bollocks to be blunt it's assumption based investigation, in this case the assumption that you can contact "the dead" through a board and a glass, despite having no evidence that if ghosts exists whether they can do so or not. The majority of "popular" investigative techniques fall into the assumption based category, you can't really capture evidence of something when you're using flawed procedures.

I've attended plenty of investigations, seen them used countless times, never once seen anything that makes me think of them as credible. Same with nonsense like table tipping, mediums and other things. Unfortunately if you want to "do it properly" you have to do things most people find boring to test reported phenomenon and even if you find something it's merely "paranormal" in the very sense of the world, you can't make assumptions it's a "ghost".

 

[Red]

Let my start off by saying when it comes to religion, spiritualism, paranormal etc. I would say I'm agnostic. Directly sat on the fence, I've had my own weird shit when I was a child - but I was a child, don't remember it, and imagination is a manipulative mistress. I possibly believe something, I probably don't. Insanely fascinated by it all though.

To me, the notion of the ouija board is utterly ridiculous. As mentioned on here it was originally introduced as a talking board (inadvertently based on the psychological principles) - completely unrelated to the paranormal (well, more marketed as magic, but you know what I mean). This was then jumped on by the occult bandwagon. All of a sudden it's spirits controlling the planchette. What? Quite a leap of logic to derive that. Why would spirits wait for someone to get out a board game before saying hi? If I was an otherworldly entity, it seems a lot easier to hijack someone's keyboard and write a nice little note on Microsoft Word, or sticking to the board game theme, why don't we just play chess with ghosts? The whole concept just seems highly flawed when thought out.

Infact I can say with certainty in my mind that every use of the ouija board is a result of the persons subconscious.

In terms of your question about why a spirit would need a ouija board to gain access and not just commandeer a keyboard, I've read that a spirit supposedly needs permission to enter and by using the board people are giving that permission. Also, people password protect their PCs so that might account for spirits not using computers. You'd be a pretty fucked off spirit if you'd travelled all the way from Spiritland only to be loocked out of the computer at the third attempt . Seriously though, I'm open to the idea it's geniuine but that doesn't mean I believe I do believe it.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

I'm now off to the toilet, spirits, feel free to type something on my keyboard whilst I'm out of the room - only that though, after that disappear as I will be freaked out like fuck.

 

[Red]

I said it before on TFF but, I do paranormal investigations. Ouija Board's are a load of bollocks to be blunt it's assumption based investigation, in this case the assumption that you can contact "the dead" through a board and a glass, despite having no evidence that if ghosts exists whether they can do so or not. The majority of "popular" investigative techniques fall into the assumption based category, you can't really capture evidence of something when you're using flawed procedures.

I've attended plenty of investigations, seen them used countless times, never once seen anything that makes me think of them as credible. Same with nonsense like table tipping, mediums and other things. Unfortunately if you want to "do it properly" you have to do things most people find boring to test reported phenomenon and even if you find something it's merely "paranormal" in the very sense of the world, you can't make assumptions it's a "ghost".

No, I didn't know you do paranormal investigations MM. I read a lot about the paranormal and I've arrived at the conclusion you've outlined about scientific rigour being required for it to be credible.

What's the weirdest thing you've investigated? Have you ever come across anything you thought was genuinely paranormal?

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

A. I'm now back, permission revoked.

B. That 'Write your reply...' has literally scared the shit out of me. Fuck you 1FF administrators.

Edit: 5 minutes later, still cacking it. Really, came back expecting absolutely nothing and there was this text in the reply box... Further edit: Made the post 10 minutes ago, I have now calmed down.

This is why I'd be a shit paranormal investigator. Talking of that, I would also be interested in your stories. I signed up ages ago to the Society for Psychical Research and had their journals come through, but it was all pretty standard stuff that is easy to find on the net.

 

[Red]

I reckon that he (or SHE?!?!?!) is probably alright.

Like on a one to one basis? You and him in the pub at the weekend, he buys a round. let's out a long exhale and says I've had a fuckin hectic week Pies, fancy a game of pool? But then on Monday he's an utter wretch destroying people's lives all week.

 

[TheMinsterman]

No, I didn't know you do paranormal investigations MM. I read a lot about the paranormal and I've arrived at the conclusion you've outlined about scientific rigour being required for it to be credible.

What's the weirdest thing you've investigated? Have you ever come across anything you thought was genuinely paranormal?

Unfortunately, most people just want to go and get scared and do what they do on TV, which is all well and good, but you have a lot of groups who want to "give evidence" and they never use really reliable stuff, or when they do they misuse it of misinterpret it. For instance, if people report moving shadows you need to lock it off, get a motion detector, shadow detector, camera and laser grid set up, if something sets them off in a controlled environment you have some interesting stuff.

I've personally seen a "ghost", a tall cloaked figure that was as real as anybody I pass in the street, along with a phantom smell in the location I saw it (rotting flesh) shortly after it disappeared. Now, I'm not saying it's proof that dead people exist but it was proof enough to me that people EXPERIENCE things like this. Now if the explanation is fatigue, hallucination etc that's perfectly OK in my opinion, nothing to be ashamed of, but for sure I know for a fact what people say they see is entirely valid, just not the assumptions that it's a dead person etc.

Strangest thing possibly was when I was working a ghost night at the building I work, we had a EMF meter that was effectively leading us to a certain location and then stopping, despite the fact the electricity was shut off. If we walked away, it lead us back again. I couldn't explain that one. I've had lights turned off at the switch when I am the only person in the building, and I know for a fact I am. I've had doors open and then slam after I reach the bottom of a flight of stairs too, which was pretty odd as I swore I heard something shout through it. I've heard the sound of footsteps when I am alone too, voices, music. Felt like things have touched me, seen things move in the dark etc. The list is quite long.

Generally, if you tell me this is the worst place to go it's full of negative activity I am the first one there, I always figure if you wanna have something happen go to the worst bit and "encourage it" so to speak.

Can't say I've seen anything that convinces me ghosts are real, but more than enough to convince me that what people experience is completely true, so I always respect people who claim to have experiences. A lot can be explained easily, others less so though.

 

[Red]

A. I'm now back, permission revoked.

B. That 'Write your reply...' has literally scared the shit out of me. Fuck you 1FF administrators.

Edit: 5 minutes later, still cacking it. Really, came back expecting absolutely nothing and there was this text in the reply box...

This is why I'd be a shit paranormal investigator. Talking of that, I would also be interested in your stories. I signed up ages ago to the Society for Psychical Research and had their journals come through, but it was all pretty standard stuff that is easy to find on the net.

I probably wouldn't class this as paranormal and I mentioned it quite a few times on the old forum but I used to experience sleep paralysis (hypnogogic). I've read that sleep paralysis can be a gateway to an out of body experience if indeed they really happen. On quite a few occasions of waking from SP I kept hearing like a roaring sound in my head and I experienced floating upwards. These are supposed to be the start of an oobe. It was quite a frightening experience and I never dared open my eyes. It happpened quite a few times and each time I tried to let ot progress further to see what would happen, but I always ended up shittin mesen and bottling it. I haven't had SP for a couple of years now, I've read that as you get older it becomes less frequent. There's a member of this forum who told me he had the start of an oobe, but it came to a premature end which was out of his control. I'm not saying this was an oobe, but I can definitely say they were never dreams.

Another weird thing happened to me when I was about 16. We had a Jack Russel dog and she used to sleep at the end of my bed. One night I was trying to get to sleep and she started growling at something she was looking at but I couldn't see. She came to the top of the bed but continued to growl at something at the bottom of the bed. Then suddenly I felt something fall onto the bed at the bottom. I can only describe it as a like it was a cat falling onto my bed. The dog continued to growl at the area where I felt the thing drop onto my bed for about another minute, then she just settlrf down. I was scared shitless throughout.

 

[TheMinsterman]

A. I'm now back, permission revoked.

B. That 'Write your reply...' has literally scared the shit out of me. Fuck you 1FF administrators.

Edit: 5 minutes later, still cacking it. Really, came back expecting absolutely nothing and there was this text in the reply box... Further edit: Made the post 10 minutes ago, I have now calmed down.

This is why I'd be a shit paranormal investigator. Talking of that, I would also be interested in your stories. I signed up ages ago to the Society for Psychical Research and had their journals come through, but it was all pretty standard stuff that is easy to find on the net.

I wouldn't worry too much about that, I've been around people who claim they're not scared cos it's a load of nonsense who've quite literally run out of buildings in a blind panic. If anything, the best researchers will be affected by fear like everyone else but can look at it rationally, I've certainly felt pretty uneasy a few times but that happens in dark places!

 

[TheMinsterman]

I have to say though, if I get shown one more picture of "orbs" I may implode, I can't remember how many times I've had to tell people it's just dust, insects or something else.

 

[Red]

I I've certainly felt pretty uneasy a few times but that happens in dark places!

Bootham Crescent?

 

[Red]

I have to say though, if I get shown one more picture of "orbs" I may implode, I can't remember how many times I've had to tell people it's just dust, insects or something else.

The pipes banging is another one I think.

 

[TheMinsterman]

Bootham Crescent?

. I've seen much more frightening things on that pitch than places where people have been murdered. Granted we got killed a few times out there too...

 

[TheMinsterman]

The pipes banging is another one I think.

Yeah, buildings make all sorts of noises, people will still claim "we heard taps" and claim there were intelligent, purely because there was a coincidental noise when they ask one question, then they'll ask ten more and the eleventh time hear another noise and that's apparently "evidence".

 

[Red]

Yeah, buildings make all sorts of noises, people will still claim "we heard taps" and claim there were intelligent, purely because there was a coincidental noise when they ask one question, then they'll ask ten more and the eleventh time hear another noise and that's apparently "evidence".

I imagine it pisses you off. Have you ever read this book?

Read it a few years ago. Is it still mostly accepted that what is percieved as poltergeist activity is really energy unconsciously given off from an adolescent?

 

[TheMinsterman]

I imagine it pisses you off. Have you ever read this book?

Read it a few years ago. Is it still mostly accepted that what is percieved as poltergeist activity is really energy unconsciously given off from an adolescent?

It's harmless in the sense that folk are just having fun and that's fine, it's more the groups who pass themselves off as pseudo-scientists and literally use debunked and flawed methodology to fit their confirmation bias led styles where they assume ghosts are real before going in.

I haven't read it, but I have been to the infamous "Poltergeist House" in Pontefract, I can't recall what it's called but they made a movie based on it. Only the 70s decor made me uncomfortable there tbh, it was completely flat and devoid of anything resembling activity. That's what some people argue though yeah, I aren't really one for the "energy" argument that is a core component of more spiritual investigators (i.e. spirits draw on energy et, the only credible energy is electro magnetic fields and I personally think spikes in these cause hallucinations/affect your senses hence you get EMF spikes in haunted locales). The obvious answer is well they could be lying, none of it was recorded, but I've seen a bowl jump off a counter in my own home onto the floor (literally kipped up and off), I'm not saying a "dead person" did it, but it was a little bit odd, I was stood with another person at the time too who saw it. I aren't sure what causes what people describe as "poltergeists", unfortunately you get so many people who manufacture activity because it sells newspaper stories for a few quid, I've hosted ghost nights at work too where groups literally "create" activity, but there's a "ghost hunting" business that has to sell tickets and people want to be scared.